


Acting Skills

by architect_N3J



Series: Pyrex One-shots [1]
Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dorkiness, F/M, First Kiss, Hair Braiding, I Tried, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I dunno the feeling is mutual there's really no confession necessary, I'm still salty we didn't even get a single kiss so this is my way of coping, Just two dorks being cute, Love Confessions (?), Mild Spoilers, My First Work in This Fandom, Post-Canon, Rex is my adorkable son who doesn't know how to romance someone help him, Rex.EXE has stopped working, Romantic Fluff, Shenanigans, but romance is hard you get me, i love them, you can pry these two from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 21:32:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14341335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/architect_N3J/pseuds/architect_N3J
Summary: Rex is on the verge of dying inside. He shifts his weight again and swallows apprehensively. "K-kiss me again," he says at a slightly higher volume, his cheeks heating up further. It's not until he clarifies his innocent petition that he's aware of the implications with what he's asking, but it's too late to back out now; caution was thrown to the wind a long time ago.





	1. "Do you trust me?"

**Author's Note:**

> REX AND PYRA ARE REAL CUTE OKAY THANKS FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK :V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In all his 15 years, Rex has never kissed anyone. He has hardly any experience with romance or girls; as a kid he was more invested in exploring and fighting monsters. He always expected having a girlfriend would be nice, but he's hardly given it much thought. And now that he's finally getting something more than a hug from a girl, he's not sure if he's enjoying it or not. Honestly he's more flustered and caught off guard than anything. He's frozen where he stands, eyes wide and he hopes his Blade pulls away soon because his poor lungs are screaming and Holy Architect he can't breathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so before I begin, this fanfic includes end-game spoilers, so you know... Read at your own risk I guess. In addition, I just wanted to say that Xenoblade 2 has completely consumed my life over the past few months, and I'm kind of addicted to it. And as a huge Rex/Pyra shipper, I've found that there isn't a lot of good fics surrounding them (at least, not at the time that this was written), so within two days over spring break I wrote this for my own selfish needs because I'm such a sucker for these two. This was also my first Xenoblade fic, so it's obviously not as good as my other stuff. But if you enjoy it, then good for you, I guess. Feel free to join the losers' club XD.
> 
> And with that, let us read onward!
> 
> I do not own the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise. If I did, then maybe cute fanfiction wouldn't be necessary.

Getting to experience a normal, peaceful day is something Rex hasn't been able to consider in quite a while. For the longest time it almost felt like an unattainable objective, an ambition just barely out of reach. Every attempt at relaxation would turn into a chase, with the opportunity to rest forever eluding his grasp. Ever since meeting Pyra, the reality that his life could be in danger at any moment came crashing down on him, and the weight of it all was heavy on his shoulders. He hasn't been able to let it go completely until just recently, a month after the rebirth of Alrest and the discovery of Elysium. But looking back on his long journey, Rex wouldn't trade it for the world, and there isn't a single part of him that regrets accepting the mission that led him to becoming the Driver of the Aegis.

Rex yawns, stretching his arms over his head as he strolls through the busy streets of Torigoth. He observes many a shopkeeper calling out to passersby, eager to find new customers, and among those shuffling through town are small families—Nopon and Gormotti alike—who are simply enjoying the day, much like himself. He rests his arms behind his head and closes his eyes for a spell, breathing in the fresh air. He's alone right now; the rest of the party is off doing their own things. After descending from the World Tree everyone had taken to helping the people of Alrest adjust to a new life, so that meant Mòrag, Brighid, Pandoria and Zeke were in their respective countries, doing what they could to ensure tranquility. Fonsett Village was for the most part self-sufficient, but Rex and Pyra had stopped by to make sure everything was okay and to check up on Auntie Corinne and the rest of Rex's large family consisting of all the villagers. And last he knew, Nia and Dromarch left to run some errands outside of town. So that only left Tora and Poppi, who were currently at the Nopon's house, working on some new upgrades for the artificial Blade.

As for Rex's own Blade, he hasn't seen her since she told him she was heading to Café Savvy with Vess to hang out for a little while. Rex reopens his eyes and stops to absorb the atmosphere around him, soaking in the serenity like a sponge. He forgets how peaceful and quiet everything can be. He's grown so accustomed to being constantly ready for any fight; he knows it's going to take him a while to settle back down again. And speaking of settling, what is he to do now? He and Pyra already reached Elysium; there's nothing really left for him to work towards. Of course, he's still a salvager, that would never change—but he wants to have goals. Something he can look forward to, and hopefully not alone. He's quite fond of the company of the party he's grown to call friends. He didn't mind living by himself when it was just him and Gramps, but now he can't possibly imagine a life without them. He smiles at the thought; he'll always have some friends who have his back, and he takes great comfort in knowing so.

The young salvager's introspective is cut short by the growling of his stomach. He pulls out his wallet to see what he can afford with whatever gold he has. He decides to stop by Llysiau Greens for a Stuffed Meaty Carrot as opposed what he normally gets when he's in Torigoth, which is Estral Steak from Gryff Butchers. Rex supposes that Pyra's tastes in salad and vegetables has rubbed off on him. He prefers Pan-Fried Tartari over anything, but unfortunately none of the restaurants in Torigoth happen to have it on the menu.

With a sigh, he turns back the way he came to find Llysiau Greens. As he makes his way through town, his mind begins to wander. He thinks back to where his adventure across Alrest began, with his first meeting with Pyra, the Aegis. The girl he swore to protect for so long. He knows it's probably melodramatic and sappy to be so nostalgic all the time, but he can't help thinking about it. She saved his life, after all, not to mention changed it for the better.

* * *

 R _ex wakes up in a vast, green field. The only sound is the rustling of leaves whispering in the breeze and the faint ringing of a church bell in the distance. There's a girl standing next to a solitary tree atop a small hill. Who is she?, he wonders. The salvager surveys his surroundings, which are lush with vegetation, before deciding to make his way towards the mysterious figure._

_The girl introduces herself as Pyra, a Blade. And this strange place is the fabled land of Elysium, where mankind used to live with their divine father, the Architect. Rex is somehow at a loss for words; he's never met anyone with nearly as much beauty as hers. Is it even possible to be this flawless? He finds her eyes to be deeply alluring, and for some reason he's speechless at how breathtaking she is. And for reasons he's unaware of, Pyra knows who he is, but how? He doesn't recall ever coming into contact with her, and he can't seem to remember how he ended up here._

_He supposes the only way would be if he..._

_"You were...killed." The Aegis explains. "Stabbed through the heart by Jin."_

_The puzzled teen suddenly remembers. He can almost feel Jin's sword piercing through his chest as he relives the memory. One minute he was enchanted by the captivating glow of the legendary Aegis, and the next his vision was blurred from excruciating pain._

_Rex suddenly feels insignificant, and reality collapses on top of him like a decayed roof that's finally reached its limit._

_He's dead, he's dead, everyone in the guild is in danger, what can he do, he has to help, but wait he can't do anything if he's dead, so—_

_The redhead interrupts him before he can ramble on any further._

_"Rex...I have a request."_

_Pyra wants him to take her to the real Elysium, atop the World Tree in Alrest, as where they are right now is just an illusion, but he can't. He's dead, remember?_

_But the Blade has a solution. By giving half of her Core Crystal to him, he can be revived, and they can go to Elysium together, as Driver and Blade. He's skeptical at first, but she tells him that by going to Elysium, he can save the world; no one would have to fight over resources or living space anymore, and people could live in peace. Rex agrees, and Pyra seems happy, but the process of splitting her life force is...well, it's not what he had in mind, to say the least._

_"Now place your hand on my chest." she instructs._

_Wait..._

_What?_

_Rex is taken aback, his cheeks flushing a light pink. "What?! A-are you sure?" It takes a second, but he realizes that she's referring to the Core Crystal right below her collarbone._

_Ohhhh, he thinks to himself. He tentatively reaches out, gingerly touching the Crystal with just two fingers so as not to make the situation more awkward than it already is for him._

_Suddenly they're enveloped in green light. He can feel an odd sensation between them; his chest feels tight and reinforced, yet weak as it threatens to burst. He can feel Pyra's power rushing through him, and it almost seems as though it's accumulating, right where his heart is._

_When Rex comes back to reality, in Alrest, there's an acute surge of energy coursing through him, and he feels...invincible. He notices that embedded in his chest is part of Pyra's Core Crystal, shaped like an x. As the memory of his death comes back to him, he suddenly feels a strong sense of determination._

_And he's ready._

_Ready to take that bastard down._

* * *

 Rex remembers it as clearly as if it were yesterday. The memory is something he doesn't think he'll ever forget, even if he wanted to. By this point he's forgotten all about being hungry, as he stops to sit for a while at Abble's Fountain to think a little more. He places a hand to his chest, where his part of the Core Crystal used to be, and also where he was stabbed by Jin. When Pyra had given half of her Core to him, she unintentionally created a bond unlike the normal link between a Driver and Blade. No, this connection was special, but it was also dangerous; upon sharing a life force, the two also shared injuries, which meant if one got hurt, the other suffered the same. So they had to be exceedingly vigilant, especially in battle. But because of that bond, Rex felt closer to Pyra. To him it was like a string of fate that tied them together. He remembers how they used to patch up each others' wounds, and he particularly recalls that quiet little moment they had after rescuing Nia and Dromarch. Rex smiles at the fond memory. He almost wishes they could have that bond again, but he knows it's for the best that the link was severed.

People passing by are likely giving him odd looks now. He doesn't care if they're thinking he's some weirdo being sentimental in the middle of town; he's in his own world now. That is, until he hears someone call his name. The brunette stands to look and see if he can spot whoever is shouting for him. He turns around multiple times—making himself look like a fool in the process—before finally resting his eyes on Pyra, who is sprinting towards him and looking rather troubled. Rex waves to let her know he sees her before asking himself what on Alrest she's running for (as well as where Vess is), and why she looks so distressed.

"Pyra...?"

The Blade in question finally catches up to him. She barely stops to catch her breath before spontaneously decreasing the gap between them and clutching the edges of his salvaging vest in tight fists. Rex finds it impossible to dismiss how very, very close their faces are and blushes a deep shade of red, his face heating up in an instant. He almost opts to take a step back but that would mean tumbling into the fountain. He can feel Pyra's soft, shallow breath on his lips and his heart rate accelerates faster than he could say "titan's foot". Pyra however, doesn't explain herself or the situation, and instead asks him a simple question:

"Are you a good actor?"

"Uh, wha-"

Rex isn't given a chance to answer, as the redhead slams her lips into his with such a force he almost loses his balance and falls into the fountain behind him. She leans into him with her eyes closed and she lets go of his vest in favor of placing her delicate hands on his neck. Rex is so shocked that it takes him a bit to wake up from his trance and figure out what in Addam's name is going on.

Pyra is kissing him. In the middle of town. In front of a large group of people.

_What the hell?_

In all his 15 years, Rex has never kissed anyone. He has hardly any experience with romance or girls; as a kid he was more invested in exploring and fighting monsters. He always expected having a girlfriend would be nice, but he's hardly given it much thought. And now that he's finally getting something more than a hug from a girl, he's not sure if he's enjoying it or not. Honestly he's more flustered and caught off guard than anything. He's frozen where he stands, eyes wide and he hopes his Blade pulls away soon because his poor lungs are screaming and  _Holy Architect he can't breathe_.

Rex's wish is granted a few seconds later. The expression on Pyra's face almost looks innocent, almost  _afraid_ , like she doesn't know where this is going to lead any more than he does, but she seems to be hiding her nerves a lot better, despite the intense blush on her cheeks that matches his own.

Rex is trying his hardest not to spontaneously combust. He struggles to find words, let alone form coherent sentences. What just happened? Why did Pyra just kiss him in the middle of town? Everyone around them is watching the scene, and he's eager to escape the gaze of the crowd as soon as possible, but his legs refuse to move. He feels helpless, trapped even. But he supposes being this close to Pyra isn't necessarily bad. He just...needs time to adjust, that's all.

"P-Pyra?" He manages to choke out through his embarrassment. "What was all that...j-just now?" His heart hammers against his rib cage like a confined animal, and he notes that their faces are still agonizingly close.

"Do you trust me?" whispers the Blade.

"Um—sure, but-"

"Then act like you love me."

"W-what?!"

She leaves him in confusion and moves one hand to place it on his chest, as if to feel his heartbeat, which is still going a titanped a minute. Pyra is certainly acting...intimate right now. Rex isn't sure if this is some sort of confession, or something else.

The brunette looks past her to see a group of young Gormotti who are very clearly starry-eyed for his Blade. And they look like...fans? No, wait...admirers.

He blinks once. Twice.

Oh...

_OH._

_...Titan's foot._

Rex has now gotten wind of the situation but before he can ask any more questions his feet are no longer safely planted on the ground as his Blade has somehow managed to hoist him into her arms. Startled, he hastily wraps his own around Pyra's neck for support, as he doesn't know what else to do except speculate how she's even strong enough to carry him. Granted, it's not like he weighs any more than he should, if anything he's often considered to be rather thin. Not to mention he's a little on the short side (compared to Pyra at least), but he would never admit that out loud.

"Pyra, what are you doing?!" the flustered Driver demands more than asks, but as expected, he doesn't get a reply. The Aegis only leans her head down to plant a soft kiss on his forehead, and Rex forgets how to breathe for a few seconds, but does his best to shake off his nerves. He has no control over the situation; the least he can do is roll with it for now and ask questions later.

The redhead turns toward their audience. "This is Rex," she announces proudly. "He is my Driver. I belong to him, as he belongs to me."

Rex can hear some of Pyra's admirers make noises of disappointment, while others are "awww"ing at her sweet statement. He looks up at her; at this point he just wants to know where she's going to take this, as now he's become a mere spectator of the show she's running. 

"Say something," she commands out of the corner of her mouth, while still retaining her bold expression.

"Er, uh—yeah! She's  _my_  Blade! And we love each other!" Rex says with as much confidence as he can muster. What he says doesn't really click until a few seconds later, which makes him want to facepalm and  _Architect, that was pathetic_ , but he doesn't want to let go of Pyra for fear of falling, even though he knows she would never drop him.

"Good, now let's go," The Aegis says to no one in particular, then turns on her heel to head back to the inn where she and her Driver are currently staying.

Once they leave the scene, Rex makes an effort to speak again, confident that now he isn't going to say something stupid and humiliate himself.

"You know...y-you can put me down now..."

"Huh?" Pyra looks down at him innocently. "Oh, ok." Carefully, she eases him back to solid ground, making sure to lean him over feet first.

"Er...thanks." he says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly with his eyes fixated on the ground. "I'm not...hard to carry or anything, am I?"

"What? No, of course not. You're actually surprisingly lightweight."

"Oh—okay then."

None of them say anything more until they make it back to Coedwig Inn. Rex fumbles with their room key but manages to get the door open without much issue. As soon as they get inside they immediately separate, eager to escape their own embarrassment and calm their nerves. Pyra busies herself in the kitchen to make tonight's dinner and Rex flops himself down at the table with his forehead against its surface, thankful that now he finally has time to process what just happened not too long ago.

And of course, the Driver and Blade make no effort to communicate and ease the tension, consequently making the situation worse.

For a while, anyway. Rex places a hand to his face to find that his cheeks are still lukewarm, much to his dismay. He groans—a little louder than he intends—and leans back but realizes too late that the stools at the inn don't have backrests and loses his balance, ultimately falling backwards, causing quite the noise.

"Rex? Are you okay?" Pyra turns around to find her Driver sprawled on the floor with a dazed expression. They lock eyes for a moment and Rex feels absolutely smitten.

"Uh...yeah?" he answers, but it sounds more like a question. He watches Pyra's expression change from one of perplexity to amusement and she tries to suppress a laugh but fails in the end and erupts into a giggling fit.

"Oi! What's so funny?"

"N-nothing," she says through her laughter. "You're just—I never knew you were this clumsy!"

"Wha—I'm not clumsy!" Rex stammers in his defense. "I just fell, that's all!"

"Whatever you say, Rex." The redhead makes her way towards him, extending her hand. Rex takes it gratefully, but makes no effort to stand. Instead, he seizes the opportunity to be the one to catch his Blade off guard by tugging on her hand and dragging her to the floor to join him. She yelps in surprise.

"There," Rex declares. "Now we're even."

The two share a laugh, but it's short lived. Pyra stands and dusts herself off.

"Well, that meatball pot-au-feu isn't going to cook itself," she states, her voice suddenly void of any lightheartedness. "I'll let you know when dinner's ready."

"O-oh, okay then." Rex stands up as well but doesn't go back to his seat. He debates whether to talk to her about what happened at the fountain, but he doesn't want to pressure her into explaining herself. Deciding there's nothing more he can do, he sighs and hesitantly drags his feet into the kitchen.

He leans against the counter with his arms folded and watches Pyra work her magic. He doesn't speak right away; he fidgets nervously and waits for a little bit but realizes that it's probably  _more_  awkward if he stands there watching her silently than if he strikes up a conversation. "So listen...uh, about...about earlier. I-"

"It's not your fault," the Aegis cuts him off without shifting her gaze from her work. "You shouldn't be the one apologizing. It should be me."

"Pyra-"

"It was incredibly selfish of me not to explain everything to you. It wasn't fair." She sighs, burying her face in her hands, but she quickly composes herself. "I...I'm sorry."

The brunette is silent. He stares forward blankly.

"You...do know what that was all about, right?"

"Huh? Oh, right—yeah, of course."

Pyra sighs again and turns to face him, reaching out her hand for a handshake. "Then I hope you'll forgive me."

"Uhm..." Rex is speechless. He bites his lip; what is he supposed to say to that? Sure, he was super embarrassed by the whole ordeal, but that doesn't necessarily mean he  _hated_  it. He was just shocked. And who could blame him? He'd never kissed anyone in his entire life until that point, of course he'd be disorganized, especially because he wasn't expecting it.

The young teen stands there for a moment, still at a loss for words. He studies Pyra's elegant visage; her smooth, delicate curves, her fiery red hair and her dazzling ruby colored eyes to match. He eyes her up and down, mesmerized by her remarkable beauty. She looks so... _radiant_. Rex notes that even with her thin eyebrows knitted in worry, she still looks flawless. His gaze shifts down to her soft, glossy lips;  _t_ _itan's foot_ , he knows he shouldn't, but even though part of him wishes the episode never happened, a much larger part of him craves another kiss from his Blade.

He's not aware of how distracted he is until Pyra interrupts him from his trance.

"Um, Rex?"

"Yeah?"

"You're staring," she deadpans.

Rex swiftly turns away, blushing furiously while rubbing the back of his neck—a nervous habit. "What? Oh, r-right—er, I mean uh..." He stumbles over his words, clearly embarrassed by the fact that he just checked her out.  _Idiot_ , he mentally scolds himself. The redhead still has her hand outstretched, waiting for a response from her Driver. She speaks up again to get his attention.

"...Rex?"

He doesn't reply; he's still facing away from her, refusing to make eye contact. He shifts his weight; he knows he screwed up, but he doesn't know how he's supposed to fix it. He stays silent for a minute, still not sure what to say.

Finally Rex manages to work up the courage to speak again. "Er, it's ok," he begins, stiffly shaking her hand yet still unable to look her in the eye.

His voice suddenly drops to a volume just above a whisper. "But actually, uhm..." He hesitates before continuing. He knows that by asking this he's digging his own grave, but he also knows that if he doesn't he's going to regret it.

Running a hand through his hair, his face colors a light pink, and he finally asks, "Could...c-could you, um...d-do it again?" The salvager squeezes his eyes shut while hunching his shoulders, not wanting to see Pyra's reaction to his request.

"...What?"

Rex is on the verge of dying inside. He shifts his weight again and swallows apprehensively. "K-kiss me again," he says at a slightly higher volume, his cheeks heating up further. It's not until he clarifies his innocent petition that he's aware of the implications with what he's asking, such as the possibility of getting smacked in the head and his reticence with romantic affection, but it's too late to back out now; caution was thrown to the wind a long time ago.

The Blade is completely caught off guard by the boy's entreaty. She blinks in bewilderment. This is not what she expected him to say. She assumed he would be upset by her actions earlier that day, but she supposes he was simply too flustered to speak. And, just between her and Mythra...she kind of enjoyed it. 

Pyra giggles to herself and leans in close to her Driver. Rex still hasn't opened his eyes, so it looks like the element of surprise is on her side. Taking the same stance as before (although she has to lean down a little to compensate for Rex's shorter height), she places her hands around his neck and gently presses her lips to his with closed eyes.

Rex would have gasped in surprise if their lips weren't locked. His eyes widen and his heart beats so loudly that he's sure his Blade can hear it. Is this even  _real_? He didn't think Pyra would actually comply. The world seems to stop for an eternity and he feels the static. The air around them is electric, and filled with devotion. He's not even sure what he's supposed to do.  _Titan's foot_ , why does he have to be so awkward? He's hesitant, but he lightly puts one arm around Pyra's waist and the other on her back. She doesn't object or pull away; she only deepens the kiss and Rex feels like he's on top of the world. Finally he relaxes and closes his eyes; the two of them don't move, enjoying the moment until their lungs beg for oxygen.

As soon as they pull away, Rex immediately retracts his arms and faces the other direction as he crosses them over his chest.

The redhead grazes his arm with her fingers. "What's wrong? You didn't like it?"

Rex scratches the back of his head. "N-no, I just, um...well..."

The Aegis smiles. "You're shorter than me. Is that it?"

"Not exactly," he replies, still reluctant to explain.

"No...? Okay, I'm listening."

Rex withdraws from his Blade as he shuffles his feet in embarrassment. "I just—well...I've never really kissed anyone before..."

Pyra grins and gives him a soft peck on the nose. "You are a funny one."

And with that, she turns back to her cooking, leaving her Driver a blushing mess in the middle of the kitchen. As she works, she notices that Rex hasn't moved from his spot against the counter, nor has he directed his gaze from the floor. The pink hue on his cheeks has faded; his arms are still folded, and he looks deep in thought. As soon as tonight's dinner is ready, she turns to him and ever-so-sweetly takes his hands in hers, which causes him to snap out of his trance and look up at her.

"Is this okay?" she asks.

"Uh, sure. I guess." the salvager gives her a reassuring smile.

"You've never been in a relationship, have you?"

He breaks eye contact. "Well..."

Pyra giggles. "That's okay. We'll figure it out." The Blade pulls him into a gentle hug, allowing him to lean his head on her chest. As of now her Driver is too timid to take any initiative with their relationship, but she knows better than to pressure him. At one point, however, he moves his head to look up at her just to whisper a small "I love you" with a shy smile before resting his head on her chest once more. They stand for a while in comfortable silence, enjoying each others' company until they're interrupted by the growling of Rex's stomach.

Rex is the first to pull away, cheeks coloring. "Sorry..."

His Blade chuckles softly and ruffles his hair. "Did you eat anything at all today?"

The brunette thinks for a minute. "I was going to, but then...ya know."

The Aegis shakes her head as if to say "What am I going to do with you?" before heading to the cabinet to get plates. "Come on, we should eat."

Rex smiles. He wasn't sure before, but it's clear to him now. He thinks back to what his Blade announced to the public at the fountain:

Pyra was right; she belongs to him, as he belongs to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooooo yeah. I'm totally not obsessed with these two. I kinda latched on to the idea of Rex being an adorably awkward dork when it comes to romance and Pyra being super understanding and sweet and just the perfect girlfriend in general, so this was the result. Also I wrote this with the idea that Pyra and Mythra weren't split at the end of the game and were still fused, so I hope that's okay with you all. I apologize for any inaccuracies regarding the plot; I don't own the game nor a Switch to play it on but I have seen the cutscenes, so I think I'm pretty knowledgeable, but if I missed anything or failed to write anyone in character, be sure to let me know!
> 
> And with that, I hope you have a wonderful day/night. Ciao! ;3


	2. Bonus (ft. Mythra)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mythra gets up to sit on his lap with her knees around his hips. She inches her face close to his while resting her hands on his shoulders and the flustered teen is certain that his heart is beating out of his chest.
> 
> She doesn't kiss him; not yet anyway.
> 
> "I want it done right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone on FanFiction was thirsty for Mythra so here ya go
> 
> If I write any other post-game Rex/Pyra or Rex/Mythra, I'll be posting it here. And with that, let us read onward!

Rex is woken up early the next day by a soft tapping on his forehead. He's partially awake, but his eyes remain closed. He groans, hoping it will make whoever wants to wake him up leave him to get a few more minutes of precious sleep, but his efforts are in vain. The tapping ceases temporarily and starts again on his cheek, and a few seconds later relocates to his nose, the pressure increasing slightly. Deciding there's nothing he can do, the salvager slowly opens his eyes halfway to see who has the nerve to wake him up because  _titan's foot_ , salvagers don't get to sleep in that often.

Sitting up on his bed, persistently tapping his face, is Mythra. She stops upon seeing he's now awake and gives him a look that means business as she lays down next to him. If the brunette were fully awake, he would have been a flustered mess by now, due to him not being used to being more affectionate with his Blade.

The Aegis's expression changes to one of curiosity. "Do you know how to braid hair?"

"Wha...?" Rex mumbles, still half-asleep.

"Hair. Can you braid it?"

The teen frowns. "Did you really wake me up just to ask me that?"

"Just answer the question, dork. Do you know how to braid or not?"

He hums to himself, thinking. "...If you let me sleep, maybe I'll tell you." His words slur as he says this.

"That's not an answer," Mythra huffs as Rex shoves his face back in his pillow. She taps his head, a little harsher this time.

"Reeeeeeex."

Her Driver rolls over to face her once more. " _Fine_... Yes I can braid hair. Why do you ask?"

Mythra's only response is to turn around and flip her long blonde hair behind her dramatically. "Braid mine."

The salvager eyes her for a moment, weighing his options. He hasn't braided hair in a long time, not since he left Fonsett Village to start his career. He remembers when they were passing through his hometown how all his unofficial younger sisters came running to him and begged him to braid their hair like he used to when they were younger. He let them down easy, promising that as soon as he returned from Elysium he would fulfill their requests.

However, Mythra's hair  _does_  look rather promising in texture. Rex has always assumed her hair would be especially silky and easy to style, but has never asked to play around with it for fear of getting a slap in the face.

But on the other hand, he's extremely tired. Maybe if his Blade is still up to it he'll do what she's asking of him when he's feeling more refreshed.

"Hmm...tempting, but no." He retreats back to his pillow and pulls the blanket over his head.

The Aegis seems genuinely shocked by his answer. "What?"

"I said no," he whines, but his voice is muffled by the pillow. "Maybe later."

The blonde sighs and glances at him. "And here I was thinking you had a knack for styling hair..." she comments as she flops backward, landing on top of her Driver.

This is enough to wake him up and cause him to realize what the Blade just discovered about him. The young salvager frantically throws the blanket from his head and manages to squirm under Mythra so that he's sitting up in bed with her head in his lap.

"Uh..." he starts, unable to get out what he wants to say at first. "H-how did you know about that?" he asks as his face heats up. "I've never told that to anyone."

"Heard about it from the villagers back at Fonsett," His Blade replies casually. She turns to face him with an endearing expression that makes Rex's heart melt. He swiftly averts his gaze and rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment. The fact that he knows how to style hair isn't something that he would just openly tell someone; it's a trait of his that he considers part of his soft side, and he takes pride in it, but he doesn't talk about it for fear of getting judged.

"R-right...about that...you know I haven't done that in a long time, right? And how come you want me to braid your hair all of a sudden? C-can't you do it yourself?" The brunette forces himself to look the Blade in the eye.

The Aegis looks up at the ceiling. "But that's no fun," she complains. "Besides..."

Mythra gets up to sit on his lap with her knees around his hips. She inches her face close to his while resting her hands on his shoulders and the flustered teen is certain that his heart is beating out of his chest.

She doesn't kiss him; not yet anyway.

"I want it done right."

Rex nearly dies right then and there, and if he wasn't blushing before, well...

"Uh—okay, s-sure." he manages to squeak out, his voice cracking.

The blonde pecks him on the nose before moving to sit beside him and throwing her hair behind her. "That's what I thought."

The salvager resists the urge to groan in frustration because  _Architect, it's not_ fair,  _why does she have to be so intoxicating?_

He shakes his head and sits up behind his Blade, already regretting agreeing to this because he knows he's going to mess it up somehow and then she'll pester him and make him practice until he gets it right.

The brunette doesn't begin right away; he curls and uncurls his fingers as he's too afraid to screw up and disappoint her and he's learned the hard way that one does not simply  _disappoint the Aegis_. With a sigh, he reluctantly combs his fingers through her hair to start and  _Holy Architect her hair is extremely smooth how does she even manage this?_

Any regrets Rex previously had are suddenly erased from his mind as he splits Mythra's golden locks into three sections, ready to style.

"Uhm...what kind of braid do you want?"

"Doesn't matter. Surprise me, I guess."

 _Well, that's not much to go on_. The boy shrugs and figures he'll just do a traditional braid, as he's not ready to attempt something more complicated like a French or fishtail when it's been so long.

The Aegis listens to the salvager hum a tune to himself while he works. It's clearly off-key, but she smiles and keeps quiet; she doesn't think she could do any better, and in all honesty, it's kinda cute. This is a side of Rex that she's never seen before, and she quickly decides that she's completely in love with it. If she could get her Driver to do this every morning, she'd be set for life.

Rex reaches out with an open palm, silently asking for something to secure the braid. The blonde gives him a small black hair tie in response and he adds the finishing touch. Once his work is done, he flips the long braid over Mythra's shoulder and sweetly wraps his arms around her stomach in a warm hug while resting his chin on her other shoulder, all while ignoring the blush on his cheeks. It's a bit of a leap for him, but he's desperate to try to be less awkward.

He begins to pull away after a few seconds, but his Blade settles her hands on his to keep them in place, then places one on the side of his face, causing him to blush harder and his stomach to do flips.

"Thanks, Rex. It looks great." she beams. Then she plants a small kiss on his cheek and attempts to free herself from his grasp but the brunette tightens his hug, not allowing her to move.

The Blade smirks. "It's like that, is it?" she reaches behind her to brush her fingers against his abdomen, causing him to immediately recoil as he laughs.

"Aw, come on! That's cheating!" he protests, hugging his stomach. Mythra turns around to pull him into a proper hug, touching her forehead to his with a fond smile.

"You're adorable, you know that?"

The teen's face flushes a bright pink. "I-I mean...If you say so." he replies with a dorky grin.

The two share a laugh, and Rex is glad that he didn't sleep in this morning.

His Blade retracts her arms to take his hands in hers. "By the way, Rex..."

"Yeah?"

She plants a kiss on his cheek. "You're a terrible actor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REX LEARNED HOW TO STYLE HAIR FROM AUNTIE CORINNE AND HE USED TO DO IT FOR ALL THE LITTLE KIDS IN THE VILLAGE FIGHT ME ON THIS
> 
> ...Ahem. Anyway, I have this headcanon that Rex is just fantastic with kids due to the younger ones always looking up to him, so that's where that came from. You can pry this idea from my cold dead hands, I'm never letting go of it.
> 
> I hope this little bonus chapter/ending was as good as the original chapter, I wrote it in like 2 days XD
> 
> Let me know what you guys think! I'm always open for constructive criticism. So with that, I wish you all a fabulous day/night. Ciao! ;3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, friend! Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments, if you'd like. I love chatting with my readers!


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